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Sunday, May 25, 2008

There was a time when the guy with the rainbow-coloured hair was at every major sporting event. Not only that . . . he always seemed to have one of the best seats in the house. . . . So whatever became of him? . . . Well, let's just say he has a seat, not sure if it's one of the best, in the big house. . . . In the day's good read, Jerry Crowe of the Los Angeles Times visits with the rainbow guy right here . . .————————Thoughts and notes and other things . . .1. The Spokane Chiefs were the best team at the Memorial Cup in Kitchener so it was only fitting that they won the whole thing. And now it will be interesting to see how many teams come out next season attempting to play the Chiefs’ system where they so often outman the opposition in the scrap for the puck. . . . Defensively, the Chiefs completely took Kitchener’s top line, including CHL player-of-the-year Justin Azevedo, out of two games. That line didn’t do anything in Spokane’s 2-1 victory in the round-robin and was pretty much invisible again Sunday. . . . Spokane C Tyler Johnson may be as defensively sound as any 17-year-old in the CHL. It seems that he is always on the right side of the puck. . . . Spokane G Dustin Tokarski, who wasn’t selected in the WHL bantam draft and was listed by the Chiefs in December 2005, was a fitting choice as MVP. He stopped 143 of 150 shots in the tournament, going 4-0 with a .953 save percentage. . . . The Chiefs finished their season by winning their last nine games — Game 7 against the Tri-City Americans, a four-game sweep of the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the WHL final and all four games in the Memorial Cup. . . . In those nine games, Tokarski and the Chiefs’ defence allowed 11 goals. . . . Counting exhibition games, the Chiefs played 103 games this season. That included 72 regular-season and 25 post-season assignments. . . . The Chiefs will be at the Spokane Arena on Monday at noon. Fans are invited to show up and share in the championship celebration. . . .———2. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again now and I’ll say it again a year from now. It’s time for the major junior leagues to clean up their act in terms of long hair and facial hair in the playoffs. This is showcase-time for major junior hockey, so why do so many players have to look like bush-leaguers?———3. As for the broken Memorial Cup, well, the same thing has happened to the Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup, and on more than one occasion. For example, legend has it that some players off the 1989 Saskatchewan Roughriders took the Grey Cup into a strip joint and it got broken there. Which is why in some photos it has a large green bow around it. . . . As for the Memorial Cup, Mike Boyle, the Chiefs’ radio voice, reports: “The bolt holding the Cup portion to the trophy had been stripped and it came apart when Chris Bruton went to hand it to Trevor Glass. Fortunately, the CHL fixed it after the ceremony and the Cup enjoyed a wild night out in Kitchener with the Chiefs.” . . . Keep in mind that the trophy the Chiefs received isn't the original Memorial Cup. That baby is safely ensconced in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. . . .———4. If (when?) the Portland Winter Hawks are sold, the first move by new owners should be to bring back the face of the franchise, Dean (Scooter) Vrooman. The biggest mistake made by the Winter Hawks’ ownership group, and goodness knows there have been one or two of them, was allowing Scooter to scoot. . . .———5. Kirk Fraser is preparing for his 10th season as the radio voice of the Kamloops Blazers, who are heard at 610 on the AM dial (CHNL). Fraser is heading into the second season of a two-year deal with Radio NL. This summer, he also is doing some reporting work for Shaw Cable. . . .———6. Recently, I have been spending some time listening to Major League Baseball games on XM radio. And it only has reaffirmed something I discovered a long, long time ago — nothing in the entire world of sports is better than baseball on radio. . . .———7. Klarc Wilson, the 10th overall selection in the WHL’s 2008 bantam draft, set up the winning goal as the Brandon Wheat Kings wrapped up a weekend prospects’ camp with a scrimmage. Or, should that be Klarc Nosliw?———8. If you are making a list of candidates for the Kamloops Blazers’ vacant head-coaching position, you can stroke off Eric Thurston’s name. He apparently has told the U of Alberta that he will be staying with the Golden Bears. . . . Thurston will have to replace two of his top players, both of whom will play in Germany next season. Sniper Dylan Stanley signed with Rosenheim and defenceman Harlan Anderson with Heilbronn. Both are former WHLer players. . . .———9. Attention Moose Jaw: You’re on the clock. . . . The WHL’s annual meeting is just over two weeks away and the commissioner awaits a decision — refurbish the Civic Centre, build a new facility or say goodbye to your Warriors?———10. If you are keeping track, only Steve Gainey is left from the Kamloops Blazers’ coaching staff that was assembled by Dean Clark. Gone are Clark (GM/head coach), Andrew Milne (assistant coach) and Larry Robinson (goaltenders), while Shayne Zulyniak (assistant GM/assistant coach) has been moved into the sales and marketing department. Gainey was brought on board by Clark as a part-time assistant coach.

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comments:

In regards to the beards and hair issue, I think you've forgotten something Gregg. These are kids playing a game. I'm not sure why you're so worried about it. Is the Memorial Cup not getting enough positive media attention? Are they having trouble filling the seats? Are corporate sponsors shying away from supporting the 90-year-old event? Other than yourself I haven't heard anybody complaining about the issue - fans, writers, broadcasters. In fact, most people find the tradition to be something dear to hold on to since most NHL teams have done away with it in their quest to give in the US networks that seem to control decisions for that league. The fact the CHL hasn't gone there is refreshing and I hope it's something they hold on to - even if old coots like you don't like it.

While I may be in the minority on the scruffy hair/facial hair thing, I am not alone. . . . Rec'd this from a Portland fan: "I agree with you May 25th column about facial hair on players during the playoffs. Looking like you just came out of a bread line is not the image the league needs to project." . . .

Also: You may notice that it says there are seven messages here. Six of them were spam and have been deleted.